Adrian Pasdar

Full name: Adrian Kayvan PasdarDate of birth: April 30, 1965Hometown: Pittsfield, MassachusettsWife: Natalie Maines (married since June 24, 2000)Children: Two sons, Jackson Slade (born on March 15, 2001) and Beckett Finn (born on July 14, 2004)Education: Dropped out of the University of Florida in 1984 after his freshman yearBet you didn't know... Adrian has three tattoos (that we know of): After filming Shanghai 1920 in 1991, he got a tattoo of the Chinese character for strength. He also has an anchor with his children's names written on it inked on his arm, and he has a Bobcat tattoo on his upper right arm in honor of his production company, Bobcat Films.

Adrian Pasdar fell into acting by accident — literally. After a serious car crash left him badly injured his freshman year of college, Adrian abandoned his football scholarship to the University of Florida and returned home, taking an internship with a local theater group. He then cut off the tip of his left thumb while constructing a set, but he took advantage of the situation by using his medical compensation to pay for acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.

Adrian, who's of Iranian and German descent, got his big break in 1986 when director Tony Scott wrote him into Top Gun as Chipper. This led to subsequent parts in the movies Solarbabies, Streets of Gold, Near Dark, Vital Signs, and Carlito's Way. He also starred in the short-lived 1996 Fox series Profit, and he's best known for his supporting role in Heroes as "morally liquid" flyboy Nathan Petrelli.

Adrian likes to work his magic behind the scenes as well: He wrote and directed the short film Beyond Belief in 1995, and he also directed the indie film Cement, which won the grand prize at the Worldfest-Houston Film Festival in 2000.

Adrian married Natalie Maines, a member of the Dixie Chicks, in a $55 ceremony at Las Vegas's Little White Wedding Chapel in 2000. Together they have two sons — Jackson Slade (born on March 15, 2001) and Beckett Finn (born on July 14, 2004).

Natalie isn't the only musical member of the Pasdar family; Adrian is a guitarist for the charity rock band Band From TV. Part of the proceeds from the band's concerts go to his nominated charity, the Rush Epilepsy Center. When not acting, writing, directing, or playing guitar, Adrian enjoys skydiving, riding a Harley, and playing chess.